Evening the edges of shirting



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTOE.

A. T. UNDERHILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO C. R. UNDERHILL, OF NEVCASTLE, NEW' YORK.

EVENING THE EDGES OF SHIRTING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. T. UNDERHILL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new Method of Evening Shirting Preparatory to Cutting; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of the manner of evening and clamping the shirting preparatory to folding it for the cutter. In this figure the bar for supporting the cotton shirting is supposed to be attached to the wall or fixed in any suitable way upon trestle work in the cutters department. The shirting is shown in its folded state as it comes from the manufacturers lying upon the Hoor. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing more clearly the mode of hanging and clamping the shirting.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention is an improved method of evening shirting for facilitating the work of the cutter, and for effecting an economy in the cutting of shirts, collars, etc., where they are cut in large numbers, and where several thicknesses of material are cut through at one operation. It 'is intended for the use of large manufacturers of shirts where many hands are employed in cutting out shirts, and where much time is consumed in unfolding, straightening out, and evening the shirting material before it is ready for the cutters table. This work has heretofore been done by the cutter himself, as it requires great nicety and accurateness to get all the edges to correspond, and, at the same time keep them in place during the operation as the pieces of shirting range usually from twenty to fifty yards in length and these must be unfolded and straightened out and doubled up into twelve or twenty-four lengths of from ten to twenty yards. This Work requires much time, and frequently the material is unevenly folded and cuts to a disadvantage, not only on account of its not having been folded exactly even, but because there is no means of retaining the edges of the fabric in place during the operation of cutting out shirts.

The disadvantages in cutting out shirts by the present mode of evening the goods is experienced daily by every shirt cutter` in our large manufactories, and any plan by which the work can be facilitated, and at the same time be performed properly will be of great value to the trade..

For effecting the above mentioned objects in a simple .and efficient manner I employ suitable strips of wood with projecting pins placed at desirable intervals apart extending the entire length of the strips; upon these pins the fabric is to be hung which support it until the required number of folds are made; when this is done the several thicknesses are clamped together with suitable clamps, and the shirting in this state is ready for the cutters table. This work can all be accomplished by a small boy or girl, as will be hereinafter shown.

In the present method of evening shirting a separate room of suflicient length must either be provided for the purpose or the shirting will be very much soiled by drawing it about over the floor of the cutters room, or it is frequently evened on the cutters table he having to stop his work for this purpose, but the tables are not of sufficient length to fold the material economically, besides it is found exceeding tedious to keep the edges together and the material smooth. Vhen the shirting is folded and made as even as possible in this way it is found impossible to keep it so through the manipulations of cutting and drawing it over the table. When the shirting is thus folded it is folded up and one end drawn over the top of the table, which is ten feet in length, and the same width as the shirting. It is smoothed down upon the table, and the patterns laid upon it and traced off with pencil; the cutter then proceeds to cut through several thicknesses of material with his scissors; as the cutting proceeds the stuff is drawn upon the table and smoothed, and great care and attention is required to keep the edges even. My method obviates the above mentioned diiiiculties, and in the following manner A represent-s a strip of wood which in practice will be nailed, at a suitable height, to the wall, or, what will be better, to trestle work as this can be moved about for economy of room. The strip or strips will ex tend from thirty to forty-tive, or more or less, feet, according to the length of the room. At suitable intervals along the face of this strip, A, are strong sharp pointed pins, B B, which are to be slightly inclined backward and from one and a half to two inches in length; these pins are about two feet apart, which will be suiicient to prevent the shirting from sagging.

C C are springs with hooked heads which are held down upon the points of the pins and serve simply to prevent the shirting from being accidentally thrown off. This arrangement with ordinary clothes clamps constitute the devices to be employed-in my method of evening shirting.

The operation is as follows The piece of shirting is laid upon the Hoor, or a handbarrow, and its end hung upon the first pin, B, the pin passing through the selvage; the shirting is then carried along the strip, A, and hung upon each pin the whole length of the strip; in this manner twelve or twenty-four thicknesses or as many as can be cut are hung upon the pins, as shown by the red lines of Fig. l, D being the evened shirting, and E the piece. In this manner the edges of the shirting can all be made to correspond, at the same time its natural weight will keep it smooth and free from folds. Before removing the shirting from the pins I use clamps, F F, as often as necessary, as shown by Fig. 2, for keeping the material in its evened state-these bind and hold the edges firmly together. The shirting is then removed from the pins and folded up ready for the cutter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method of evening shirting herein shown and described.

A. T. UNDERHILL.

Titnesses MICH. HUGHES,- MONTGOMERY M. LIVINGSTON. 

